The Better Duelist
by Peggi J. Crawford
Summary: Syrus practices dueling and hopes to be as good as Zane one day.  May the better duelist win!  Oneshot, not much dueling or action, a little cute but not fluffy.  Has an OC in it but it's not centered around her!  R&R!


That Yugioh GX game for PSP is real crack! I tell you, I don't even know much about GX but fell in love with dueling Syrus. He's not hard to beat but he's so stinkin cute because he doesn't believe in himself! So of course, I just had to write this. It is dedicated to my twit of a boyfriend, James, who forced me to play that stupid game in the first place since someone just couldn't beat Jinzo on his OWN!!! And so now this had to happen. Good job, twit. Congrats. You did it again!

_Disclaimer:_ No ownie, no moanie. Get it? Got it? Get your game on!

* * *

Syrus drew a card, proud of what he had in his hand, but knew instantly that he was about to lose. 

"I-I guess this means you'll win. I guess I'll just put my monster in defense mode and end my turn."

Shayne looked at him and her emerald green eyes smiled at him, "If you just give up like that you'll _never_ win! How do you know that you won't win?"

"Because you _always_ beat me!" he whined.

"Then why do you duel me?" she asked, "If you're just going to give up every single time, it doesn't really seem worth the trouble, now does it?"

"I like to duel you! I never win but you're the only duelist who beats me in the nice way! Everyone at the academy thinks I'm weak!"

Shayne laughed, "Syrus, you _are_ weak! They just don't see that your weakness is your strong point. You don't have confidence in yourself but one day you'll surprise them. You'll show up with that attitude, acting like you think you don't have a change and you'll wipe the floor with them! I have faith in you, Syrus."

Syrus knew that this was just her way of beating him kindly, and so he began collecting his cards. Shayne just laughed and began doing the same. They had been dueling almost every evening for a couple of months now. She always beat him but he kept asking her to come back to his room. It was against the rules for the girls and boys at the academy to go into each other's dorms this late at night, but Shayne wasn't a member at the academy, and besides. She would never be caught. She looked enough like a boy when she put on the Obelisk blue uniform and put her hair under a baseball cap, her only worry was being caught in a Slifer part of campus in a blue uniform.

"I should be getting back soon," Shayne sighed, "because I don't think Zane would like me to be here this late. It's after one."

Syrus looked at the clock in amazement. The time had passed so quickly and he hadn't realized how late it was. She was right. Zane didn't like his little brother talking so late to her and it would give him something else to look down on him for.

"I had fun dueling you!" Syrus said, giving Shayne a really big hug.

Syrus had a really big crush on Shayne but while both of them knew about it, he tried not to let that get the better of him. He was just grateful to know her and glad that his brother didn't have a problem with his girlfriend seeing his little brother so often! Shayne was 20, just 3 years older than Zane, which made her 5 years older than Syrus. That was also a pretty big problem with his little crush! So, the two agreed that they would keep their late night meetings as casual as possible so as not to attract attention and make their meetings to be after everyone else was in bed.

Shayne kissed Syrus on the forehead and winked as she walked through the door, placing her hair inside of a baseball cap. Syrus sighed and fell onto a chair. He wished he was a better duelist and could make his older brother proud of him but unless he practiced he would never get better. He smiled as he looked at the card in his hand.

He laughed a little when he thought of what Shayne's expression would've been if he had played it. He forfeited the match because he wanted to keep her confidence up. If she thought he was a bad duelist she would never expect him to win. He would wait until he was as good as Zane and then he would challenge his brother to a duel. Just like she had told him, people saw him as the duelist he was when he'd first arrived at the academy, but in truth, he was a lot more confident with himself now. He had acquired a few really good cards and had a few even better strategies. He would soon be unbeatable.

In a way he wished he could tell one of his closest friends just how good he was getting because of her constant attention and tuning of his deck, or at least the cards she knew he had, but he was saving that duel for a rainy day.

Zane smiled when he felt a hand slipping under his pillow and expected the onslaught of silliness that he was always greeted with by Shayne. He felt the pillow leave his bed and smack him in the stomach, which he had prepared for and grabbed it, causing a squealing girl to fall on top of him.

"How was the duel?" he asked, trying to wake up and hoping that his room mates would ignore them as they usually did.

"Fine. He's getting a lot better."

"I am guessing he gave you the match again?" Zane pulled off the baseball cap and watched her long blonde hair fall down her shoulders.

"Yeah. You know, your brother is so adorable when he thinks I'm underestimating him. He still won't tell me he's getting good, but I'm sure he is just waiting for the right time to kick my butt in a duel."

"I appreciate you helping him. He annoys me to no end but he is still my brother and I do like him a little bit, you know?"

Shayne just laughed insanely, knowing very well that Zane meant that he _loved_ his brother a _lot_. He just didn't like sharing feelings and being all lovey and mushy and such.

Zane knew that one day his little brother would be a great duelist once he got past his fear of losing and stopped trying to prove himself to anyone _but_ himself. He had what it would take and he had a lot to his advantage like his persona of being so self-conscious about what others thought and no confidence in his dueling abilities.

One day they would find out who was _really_ the better duelist. That day was coming, and it could be possibly very soon!

* * *

Peggi: For the records, I really am jealous of one of my own characters. Zane is such a smexy character. He is seriously man candy!

Seto: Figures. He's the generic brand of ME!

Zane: Can it, Kaiba.

Seto: Screw the cans, I have money!

Peggi: I'm going to put both of you in time out in about 10 seconds if you don't stop bickering!

Yugi: But they copied us!

Jaden: No we didn't!

Peggi: (hits them all with random shoes) SHUT UP! Ahem. Okay, readers! Anonymous or signed in, please review! I am sure I will end up writing more of these thingies but right now I must update two other fics, as certain cousins of mine demand it!

Eevee: Hai!

Sam: WHY did you write this?!

Peggi: . . .because. . .uh. . .my plot bunnies are rabid and rampant! Shoot them and cook them for food!!!

Marik: (mind controls Peggi to stop writing)


End file.
